The Red O opera preservation

Developers › Choose Opera

How to name a web browser (by those who have)

January 13, 2012 · by Espen André Øverdahl

Opera iconOpera - more than an icon, but a name with a meaning.

I came across an interesting article posted on the MSDN blog portal on how to name a web browser (by those who have). Do you know why Opera is called Opera? The reasons the name "Opera" was chosen are several. For one, "Opera" is known as the opera all over the world. London, Paris and Moscow all have Operas, and it's one thing that has long historical roots in almost the entire world. Secondly, the Opera is associated with quality and high standards - you never hear of Opera singers who go on a drunken spree... ;-) Thirdly, the Opera is fun. (Or at least, it's meant to be for the people who don't have prejudices against it for being snobby and upper class-only.)

You can read the full story on MSDN and learn why Chrome is called Chrome.

Readers' comments 37

Left under the original article, as archived.

  • Sami SerolaFriday, January 13, 2012 12:07:32 PM

    Then why not call Opera Mini as Operetta (Light Opera)? :p:

  • TamilFriday, January 13, 2012 12:09:07 PM

    Originally posted by EspenAO:

    Do you know why Opera is called Opera?

    http://files.myopera.com/Tamil/Smilies/Yes.gif -

  • DaneFriday, January 13, 2012 12:14:24 PM

    Originally posted by serola:

    Then why not call Opera Mini as Operetta (Light Opera)?


    The internal name (visible inside .jar files) of some early Opera Mini builds was exactly that :smile:

  • Sami SerolaFriday, January 13, 2012 12:18:37 PM

    Originally posted by d4n3:

    Originally posted by serola:

    Then why not call Opera Mini as Operetta (Light Opera)?

    The internal name (visible inside .jar files) of some early Opera Mini builds was exactly that :smile:

    :cool: Thanks for the information :up: I started to use Opera Mini from version 4, and during that time they used cryptic anagram nick names :bigsmile:

  • Phillip Robert O'ConnerFriday, January 13, 2012 12:47:11 PM

    Now! We Now Why They Chose OPera.Plus I New Been To A Opera Performance At My Home Country.

  • Mağruf ÇolakoğluFriday, January 13, 2012 1:24:36 PM

    We know it for few years :smile:
    http://bit.ly/lRjzAW

  • celalFriday, January 13, 2012 3:46:29 PM

    The art of opera with the International Opera Festival in Istanbul, Istanbul, crossing the boundaries of closed spaces, of all ages, reaching audiences from all walks of Istanbul residents and visitors to meet in Istanbul and its historical places and integrating with the city of Istanbul is a unique location, puts them on a world scale. Has become an important cultural centers of traditional international opera festivals held in Istanbul another one like it in this beautiful and mysterious world art map of the city is of great importance in terms of making a permanent place.
    an opera for her love of art
    :yes: :up: :heart:

  • Stoyan PomakovFriday, January 13, 2012 3:55:58 PM

    Originally posted by serola:

    Then why not call Opera Mini as Operetta (Light Opera)? :p:


    LOL! Brilliant :bigsmile:

  • CarlosprinceFriday, January 13, 2012 4:53:49 PM

    I dont kw why pls tell me

  • ZBARTA GABRIELFriday, January 13, 2012 4:54:59 PM

    'sator arepo tenet opera rotas' mistically opera root is very cryptic and it's funny that tenet is like a swiss cross.

  • earth01Friday, January 13, 2012 5:15:53 PM

    Really :confused:

    I thought it came from italian "an opera" which means "a work". Isn't it that ?

  • TatianaSaturday, January 14, 2012 12:38:22 AM

    ummmmm??????

  • naySaturday, January 14, 2012 2:17:42 AM

    wow , :yes:
    i love MyOpera . . Here i met my lovely hubby . .:love: . .

  • slackwrdaveSaturday, January 14, 2012 6:49:45 AM

    Would the source code of Opera be called the "libretto?"

  • Charles SchlossSaturday, January 14, 2012 7:31:40 PM

    :up:

  • Katherine gippleSunday, January 15, 2012 4:23:59 AM

    I think the name"Opera" invokes a sense of the uppercrust. I think opera singers drink, everything, but red wine

  • albertoSunday, January 15, 2012 11:09:36 AM

    I liked to think that the name "Opera" was ispired by latin word "Opera, ae" which means "work, manufact, something created by human hands" often intended as "masterpiece". I was sure it was refered to music, but i liked the latin meaning cause it was also a deep concept for the philospher Hanna Arendt's thought. :up:

  • IgaIgaSunday, January 15, 2012 12:21:45 PM

    I didn't know the origin of the name, Opera till today. I have some questions after reading the article above, which is why the logo is shaped like that and why the color of the logo is red, none of these really connect directly with the image of the Opera. Does Asia have a long historical background with Opera in comparison with Europe?

    :smile:

  • hobeMonday, January 16, 2012 6:30:52 AM

    probably that's why still so few people use it :wink:

  • f0ur5killahMonday, January 16, 2012 11:59:47 PM

    Great post I like OPera I got some friends that use it in barbados on there Blackberry's sweet!

  • kumar babuTuesday, January 17, 2012 9:02:48 AM

    I like Opera i just wants to have a good relationship here

  • kumar babuTuesday, January 17, 2012 9:03:09 AM

    :smile:


  • albertoWednesday, January 18, 2012 4:32:17 PM

    Originally posted by IgarashiT:

    I didn't know the origin of the name, Opera till today. I have some questions after reading the article above, which is why the logo is shaped like that and why the color of the logo is red, none of these really connect directly with the image of the Opera. Does Asia have a long historical background with Opera in comparison with Europe?

    :smile:

    i can't answere to your first two questions, anyway the "sipario" in theater is usually purple, or maybe red is color of Norway's flag. Concerning to the music term "opera", it belongs, clearly, from italian. The word "opera" could be translated in "work" thinking above all at an artistic field. So, Opera stand for a music genre and in the 19° century italian writers were very popular in europe. Opera is symphonic orchestra+songing ("aria")+ acting, so u can't just compare western opera with asian theater+music, cause it is very different. if u mean if there are good asian singers or something like, yes, surely, there are great orchestras in japan or china, but if they act Opera, they don't play their traditional music, hope be useful :wink:

  • JadeWednesday, January 18, 2012 7:54:28 PM

    This browser is AWESOME!!!! :up: :up:

  • JadeWednesday, January 18, 2012 7:56:17 PM

    Its main problem, as with all other browsers, is it's eating memory. But recovers pretty fast... :bigsmile:

  • IgaIgaWednesday, January 18, 2012 11:28:42 PM

    Mr. or Ms. alberto, Thank you for your very kind and useful information. The information you've given is what I wanted to hear, especially your mentioning on the color of the logo. The Opera in Japan is not as popular as in Europe and other music are more popular, although the opera has been introduced into Japan relatively a long time ago.

    (I'm and was just curious about the area of the music, Opera, I guess)
    Again, thank you for your reply, alberto.

    Originally posted by albertocascione:

    i can't answere to your first two questions, anyway the "sipario" in theater is usually purple, or maybe red is color of Norway's flag. Concerning to the music term "opera", it belongs, clearly, from italian. The word "opera" could be translated in "work" thinking above all at an artistic field. So, Opera stand for a music genre and in the 19° century italian writers were very popular in europe. Opera is symphonic orchestra+songing ("aria")+ acting, so u can't just compare western opera with asian theater+music, cause it is very different. if u mean if there are good asian singers or something like, yes, surely, there are great orchestras in japan or china, but if they act Opera, they don't play their traditional music, hope be useful

  • Harsh vardhanThursday, January 19, 2012 7:29:01 AM

    I am using opera mini 4.4 in samsung e3213 mobile bt hindi language is not rupport it. How can i read hindi font in 0pera

  • albertoThursday, January 19, 2012 3:26:46 PM

    Originally posted by IgarashiT:

    Mr. or Ms. alberto, Thank you for your very kind and useful information. The information you've given is what I wanted to hear, especially your mentioning on the color of the logo. The Opera in Japan is not as popular as in Europe and other music are more popular, although the opera has been introduced into Japan relatively a long time ago.

    (I'm and was just curious about the area of the music, Opera, I guess)
    Again, thank you for your reply, alberto.


    you wellcome, IgarashiT (by the way, i'm male), the "Aria" is a lirical song, usually, but not only, sung by solo singer. It is usually included in Operas. Other elements of the Opera (recitative or singing or just music) could be Chorous, Romanza, (later will be added Ouverture, barcarola, etc..). All these way of singing are part of European Classical tradition.
    One of the most popular "Aria" is "Ch'io mi scordi di te... non temere amato bene" by Mozart ("If i will forget you...? don't worry, i well loved") http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xwGn_qRFk8&feature=related

    "Aria" means just "air", i dunno why such terms is used for. While Lirica (which is just the same as Opera) belongs to the ancient roman (and Greek) instrument "Lyre", cause poets used to play lyre while acting or just sang on it's music if the lyre was played by someone else.


    Usually i listen different music genre, i like above all electronic and punk, better if the artist have avanguardistic ideas.

    I'm glad to share this knowladge, and hope to learn more about asian theater/music tradition. I like j-pop culture (electronic music, indie comics, seinen anime) and contemporary litterature too, but know little about tradition.


  • IgaIgaThursday, January 19, 2012 11:35:28 PM

    Thank you, Alberto for your nice information.
    Japan has modern traditional Japanese music (a Noh theater, three-stringed Japanese guitar, Sankyoku and a four‐stringed Japanese lute, in which popularly koto, samisen, and sakuhachi are played) and old Japanese court music, Minyo (a traditional folk song) and traditional folk entertainments. The former originated in Japanese early modern times (1568-1867), and the later originated in the Middle Ages and ancient times.
    I like classical music, blues, popular music and also electronic music like Pet Shop Boys. I like Anime, too. There are many anime in Japan, Doraemon, Dragon Ball, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and My Neighbor Totoro. I have not tried indie comics yet (ha, ha--).

  • АлександрFriday, January 20, 2012 5:14:30 AM

    Спасибо! Я догадывался об этом, но теперь знаю точно! :smile: Офигенски круто :yes:

  • albertoFriday, January 20, 2012 10:08:19 AM

    Originally posted by IgarashiT:

    Thank you, Alberto for your nice information.
    Japan has modern traditional Japanese music (a Noh theater, three-stringed Japanese guitar, Sankyoku and a four‐stringed Japanese lute, in which popularly koto, samisen, and sakuhachi are played) and old Japanese court music, Minyo (a traditional folk song) and traditional folk entertainments. The former originated in Japanese early modern times (1568-1867), and the later originated in the Middle Ages and ancient times.
    I like classical music, blues, popular music and also electronic music like Pet Shop Boys. I like Anime, too. There are many anime in Japan, Doraemon, Dragon Ball, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and My Neighbor Totoro. I have not tried indie comics yet (ha, ha--).



    Thanks for information, , concerning japaneese comics i like Hiroki Endo (as author), while about anime try to see Elfen Lied and above all NHK ni youkoso, also know as Welcome to NHK. They are for adult audience, not because of sex scene, but cause they have complex and deep plot.
    hear u...

  • IgaIgaFriday, January 20, 2012 10:53:27 AM

    I don't know Hiroki Endo nor elfen lied series since I'm not really an enthusiastic anime reader. I like Miyazaki Hayao's movies, in addition to other than the ones mentioned previously, The Castle of Cagliostro in which you can see many interesting motions of the characters. Do you know Akira which is published abroad, too?

  • albertoFriday, January 20, 2012 2:17:00 PM

    I love miyazaki since Conan, when i was child, i consider his masterpiece Porco Rosso, where u can found deep political matters. Italian "Porco Rosso" stands for "Dirty Communist" at the early time of raising of Mussolini's dictatorship, just after First World War. litterally "Porco" stand for "Pig" so why the main character of the anime is a pig.
    I read akira... maybe 10 or more years ago, i remember i liked it.
    Now i want to sorry with everybody for the off topic :smile:

  • IgaIgaSaturday, January 21, 2012 12:30:38 AM

    Thanks, alberto.
    I didn't know you've read Akira. You are professional in Anime.
    I'm now off the topic, too.

  • RobThursday, January 26, 2012 1:51:44 PM

    Opera is also a town in Italy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera,_Lombardy mainly famous for hosting a jail ^_^

  • IgaIgaThursday, January 26, 2012 10:59:21 PM

    I,interesting---.

    I like Snoopy.

  • albertoThursday, January 26, 2012 11:02:38 PM

    Del resto chi ben comincia è a metà strada fra Opera e Milano (mi concedo questa freddura protetto da una citazione degli uochi toki) pensa mi piace anche boris vian

About this article

Published inChoose Opera
DateJanuary 13, 2012
AuthorEspen André Øverdahl
Tagsfirefox, netscape navigator, safari, opera, chrome, Internet Explorer
OriginalInternet Archive

The Red O » Developers » Choose Opera » How to name a web browser (by those who have)

Browsers

Add-ons

Services

Developers

Help

Company

About · Contribute · Legal theredo.org
The Red O is an independent, non-commercial preservation project, not affiliated with Opera Norway AS. Opera is a trademark of its owner.